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Kelsey Taylor has been promoted to account supervisor from account manager at Memphis-based advertising agency Red Deluxe. Taylor joined the firm in 2011 and leads the firm’s work for Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in Washington, D.C.

The schools consolidation planning commission is getting close enough to its goal of a plan for the merged school system that some members are now weighing how much political headroom to give the countywide school board.

The group drawing up the blueprint for a consolidated countywide public school system will plan for a school system that covers the entire county including the suburban towns and cities.

That’s what the chairwoman of the schools consolidation transition planning commission told all six suburban mayors Thursday, Feb. 16, as the planning commission talked with the mayors about their plans to create municipal school districts.

Gene Bartow, the legendary college basketball coach and a native of Browning, Missouri, who led the 1973 Tiger basketball team to the NCAA National Championship Game against UCLA, has lost his long battle against cancer. Bartow, age 81, died on January 3rd at his home in Birmingham, Alabama.

The schools consolidation planning commission will probably hire a consultant sometime next month and the group should begin making the first decisions on what a consolidated school system looks like early next year.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has picked his five choices for the schools consolidation planning commission: two higher education officials, a corporate attorney, an Episcopal priest heading BRIDGES USA and an elementary school principal.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has picked his five choices for the schools consolidation planning commission: two higher-education officials, a corporate attorney, an Episcopal priest heading BRIDGES USA and an elementary school principal.

The Memphis City Schools board and the Shelby County Schools board each approved the settlement of the schools consolidation lawsuit Thursday, Aug. 25, in separate meetings.

And the MCS board appointed its five members to a 21-member transition planning commission. The slate is the first group of appointees to the commission which will make recommendations on the coming consolidation of Shelby County’s two public school systems in August 2013.

When the restaurant Wally Joe closed in January 2007, owner Fred Carl Jr., founder, president and CEO of Viking Range Corp., decided to keep a restaurant going while looking for a buyer for the space in the shopping center at South Mendenhall Road and Sanderlin Avenue. Appropriately, the temporary restaurant would be called Interim.

The Mid-South Fairgrounds may be the most unlikely landscape for a civic project that has succeeded in catching the eye of skeptical Memphians.

But it isn’t the architectural renderings of water-colored citizens strolling in the glow of a possible future that has our attention. It’s what Memphians don’t see when they drive by the fairgrounds that has their attention.

Memphis City Council members will be called on today to jump start the stalled renovation of The Fairgrounds.

The push by the Liberty Bowl's three tenants is to get an immediate council vote on a plan to create a great lawn at the Fairgrounds and demolish seven buildings including the Pipkin Building.

An ad hoc committee including council members and representatives of the three tenants met Monday evening to talk about current demolition underway at the Fairgrounds.

The demolition of the old Libertyland amusement park caused some concern when it went into a parking area outside the park.

Southern Heritage Classic founder Fred Jones immediately began expressing concerns that the new activity as well as the digging of a temporary siltation pond would cut the number of parking spaces available for his annual Jackson State-Tennessee State football matchup.

The work was stopped several weeks ago as the council tried to sort out where the demolition ended and the creation of a “great lawn” during the brief tenure of Mayor Pro Tempore Myron Lowery began.

“There’s a whole lot of work still being done,” Jones told the committee Monday evening of what he had seen earlier that day.

City Housing and Community Development director Robert Lipscomb said it was only a “clean up” of the area.

At Monday’s meeting, the three tenants of the football stadium said they back going ahead with the great lawn project as long as the lawn, in some form, and a plan to demolish the seven buildings, most of which are livestock barns, can all be done by the time football resumes at the Liberty Bowl with the Sept. 11 Southern Heritage Classic.

Some of the demolition contracts run out next week.

Jones said he supports the concept of a great lawn from East Parkway to the stadium. But he questioned whether the plans would increase the number of parking spaces from the current 5,372 within the Fairgrounds property to 7,568.

“We need to know exactly what we have. I don’t mean conceptually,” Jones said. “You’re not creating new spaces.”

Architect Tom Marshall, the city’s consultant on the project, insisted new and more parking will be created with the demolition of the buildings and Libertyland.

Marshall offered to come up with a detailed map showing individual parking spaces for today’s council discussion expected to begin during executive session at 1pm.

“I’ll even put in big cars,” he told Jones at one point.

Jones was the only no vote in the seven member committee vote to ask the city council for immediate approval of the project.

“I’m not really satisfied with what I’ve seen,” he said after he and others said the work by some divisions of the city including the Park Services division didn’t mesh with what other parts of city government were saying. “It’s just too convenient that the park services people weren’t here. Every time we say there is additional parking, I have not seen it.”

Council member Reid Hedgepeth moderated the session, trying to keep all of those involved from discussing past mis-steps.

“From now on people are going to know what’s happening,” he said. “If we’re going to do it, let’s do it. If not … let’s send them home,” he said referring to demolition crews.

Liberty Bowl executive director Steve Ehrhart said pre bowl game events should have some kind of building on the grounds to host them. Lipscomb said a tent will serve the purpose even though Ehrhart would prefer one of the surviving Fairgrounds buildings.

“A tent would be better than those buildings,” Lipscomb said.

Marshall estimated what is known as phase one of The Fairgrounds overhaul could cost $6-million to $9-million. There are no plans for a second phase or anything else beyond the great lawn and the building demolition.

The phase one cost could vary depending on bids and design work still to be done. Construction would start in June. But the council could vote on a specific design in April or May.

“We’re supportive of it,” University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said near the end of the two hour session. “I’m more and more concerned about the land. But we want to move on it.”

The construction of the Salvation Army Kroc Center on a Fairgrounds lot along East Parkway next to Fairview Junior High School is independent of the city’s on again-off again plans for the rest of the Fairgrounds property including phase one.

Memphis City Council members will be on the deciding end Tuesday of a push to get an immediate council vote on a plan to create a great lawn at the Fairgrounds and demolish seven buildings including the Pipkin Building.

More than half and possibly as much as 75 percent of Shelby County’s nearly 626,000 voters are expected to turn out for the Nov. 4 election that will be highlighted by the John McCain-Barack Obama battle for the White House.

The upset of the evening was the general election contest for General Sessions Court Clerk where Democratic challenger Otis Jackson beat Republican incumbent Chris Turner.

And only one of two sets of Shelby County charter amendments on the ballot were approved by voters.

Voter turnout was just under 16 percent in Shelby County. Voter turnout was clearly driven by the 9th District Democratic primary. More people voted in that primary which covers most but not all of Shelby County than voted countywide in the state Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. Turnout in the Democratic primaries was twice that of the Republican primaries in Shelby County.

All results are unofficial pending audit and certification by the Shelby County Election Commission and Tennessee election officials

Not even close. Cohen won the primary for the open all Shelby County seat two years ago by 4,400 votes over Tinker and 13 other candidates. This time around he was the incumbent and Tinker’s challenge was more strident with a pair of controversial attack ads in the gap between the end of early voting and election day. Both were probably factors in the vote totals along with a smaller field of five candidates.

These are the results district wide which includes not only the eastern part of Shelby County but a strip of Middle Tennessee up to the Kentucky state line. In Shelby County’s part of the 7th district, Leatherwood beat Blackburn with 62 percent of the vote. But it was 62 percent of just over 19,000 votes. Outside Shelby County it was always going to be difficult for Leatherwood.. The low voter turnout in Collierville and other eastern parts of the county made Leatherwood’s task impossible.

Blackburn faces Democrat Randy G. Morris on the Nov. 4 ballot.

Shelby County Charter Amendment #360Yes 49,506 49.73%

No 50,043 50,27%

Closest contest of the night in Shelby County with a 537 vote margin and the highest turnout with 99,549 votes total.

This set of charter changes was to fix a legal problem noted in a recent Tennessee Supreme Court ruling. Another part of the package deal was increasing term limits for the county mayor and the county commission from two consecutive four year terms approved by voters in 1994 to three consecutive four year terms. The County Commission meets Monday to ponder whether it should offer another charter amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot that would fix the legal problem.

Shelby County Charter Amendment #361Yes 65,548 68%No 30,188 32%

This set of charter amendment includes provisions for recalling elected officials. It also establishes a new method for filling a vacancy in the office of County Mayor.

The upset of the evening. Turner, the Republican nominee and the incumbent was seeking a fourth term. Jackson, the Democratic nominee, was making his fourth bid for county-wide office after coming close in a 2006 bid for County Clerk.

TrusteePaul Mattila 54,734 57%Ray Butler 29,977 31%

Mattila beats Butler in a race featuring an energetic and misleading campaign by M. LaTroy Williams in which Williams billed himself as the “real Democrat.” He was, in fact, an independent candidate garnering 8 percent of the vote. Mattila fills the remaining two years left in the term of office of the late Bob Patterson, a Republican. Mattila, a Democrat, worked with Patterson. Butler, the Republican, was also a friend of Patterson’s and the race amounted to who would best continue to operate the office as Patterson did.

Fowlkes serves out the remaining six years left of the eight year term of office of Fred Axley who resigned from the bench shortly after winning re-election in 2006. Burrow finished a close second to Axley two years ago and again ran an energetic campaign this time around. But Fowlkes status in the legal community and his appointment to the bench by Gov. Phil Bredesen proved to be the advantage.

Johnson, the Democratic nominee, easily beat Giannini, who is also doubling as local GOP chairman. Local Democrats keep the county-wide position in their column as voters go for the candidate endorsed by outgoing Democratic incumbent Rita Clark.

These are the statewide results. Tuke got 42 percent of the Shelby County vote with Clayton finishing second. Tuke, the former state Democratic Party chairman, faces Republican incumbent Lamar Alexander, one of the most successful politicians in the history of the state, in the Nov. 4 general election.

Judicial Retention Races

All seven state appellate court judges, including two Tennessee Supreme Court justices, won their yes/no contests on the ballot across the state. That includes Tennessee Criminal Appeals Court Judge Camille McMullen of Millington who was just appointed to the bench in June by Gov. Phil Bredesen.

A healthy voter turnout doesn't necessarily mean every race on the ballot gets the benefit. Politicos call it "ballot falloff." It means races such as those for president or mayor get voters to the polls. But those same voters might decide not to vote in the other races.

Through the first five days of early voting, 1,152 Shelby County voters have cast ballots in advance of the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" election. Early voting opened Jan. 16 at Shelby County Election Commission headquarters, 157 Poplar Ave. The balloting expands to 18 satellite locations starting today.

CHATTANOOGA (AP) - Barack Obama is running television advertisements in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville, in what supporters say is the first such market buy for Tennessee's Feb. 5 Democratic presidential primary.

Thursday at noon is the filing deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions for the Feb. 5 Democratic and Republican primaries for Shelby County's General Sessions Court clerk and property assessor.

A few weeks after her sister died in 2005, Molly Smith bought a copy of Cecelia Ahern's debut novel "P.S. I Love You" on a whim. Swept up in the story of a grieving young widow who comes to terms with her husband's death, she ultimately read it several times over.

The Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) has announced that David N. Truong from Crye-Leike's Quail Hollow office, 6525 Quail Hollow Road, has successfully passed the real estate broker licensure exam and has received his broker's license. Truong completed strict experience and education requirements, including 120 classroom hours of real estate education. He has been a real estate agent for four years in and around Shelby and DeSoto counties, where he specializes in all areas of real estate sales.

Dr. Fred Johnson has been appointed to the Shelby County Board of Education. Johnson also is a Memphis Area Teachers' Credit Union (MATCU) board member. Johnson will fill the vacancy left by Wyatt Bunker, who left the board to serve on the County Commission. Johnson has served as a MATCU board member since 1996.

William "Bill" Carter says he's never planned anything; things just seem to happen in his life. Carter's career, so far, spans some 50 years, from serving as a Secret Service agent during President John F. Kennedy's administration to waging a legal battle with the U.S. government on behalf of the Rolling Stones, to acting as executive producer for a recent documentary on religious icon Billy Graham that was endorsed by the Graham family.

The Memphis Advertising Federation named Robert Vornbrock and Glenna Rogers-Ward ad man and ad woman of the year at its 2005 Pyramid Awards ceremony. Vornbrock, president of diversified communications...

Sgt. Jackie Setliff of the Shelby County Sheriffs Office was chosen as Officer of the Year by the Optimist Club. A ceremony honoring Setliff begins at 10 a.m. today in the Sheriffs Conference Room, 201 Poplar Ave., ninth floor...

Jimmy Drumwright was promoted to chief nursing officer at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville. Previously, Drumwright was a nurse manager at Bapti...

54. Archived Article: Tlaw (lead) - Monday, April 15, 2002 Women seeking office need support Political obstacles still loom for women By MARY DANDO The Daily News Shelby County is often seen as an aberration in relation to the rest of the state. On a positive level, women turned out to vote in greater numbe...

55. Archived Article: Calendar - Monday, May 14, 2001 Calendar of events: June 5 11 Calendar of events: May 14-May 20 May 14 The International Association for Administrative Professionals will have its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn-Memphis East. Anne Jones of Dress for Success, Memphis C...

57. Archived Article: Teacher Academy (lead) - Monday, May 22, 2000 By LAURIE JOHNSON Senate committee approves teachers academy funding By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News A new round of federal funding will help provide an additional educational boost for a select group of teachers in the Mississippi River Delta. The...

58. Archived Article: Comm Briefs - Friday, May 19, 2000 The 11th annual Memphis Italian Festival is set for June in Marquette Park in East Memphis The 11th annual Memphis Italian Festival is set for June in Marquette Park in East Memphis. The festival is 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. June 2 and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Ju...

59. Archived Article: Real Focus - Tuesday, November 02, 1999 Luxury in Lakeland Snyder ready to build Lakeland subdivision By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News Groundwork is now complete and construction ready to begin on homes in Windsor Grove subdivision, a 28-lot gated community under development on Stewart Ro...

61. Archived Article: Memos - Wednesday, May 19, 1999 Robert Miller Elected to Harrah's Ruth Hendricks has been appointed catering sales manager for the Peabody. She formerly served as operations manager for Memphis in May. Ken Nelson has been promoted from catering sales manager to assistant director ...

62. Archived Article: Memos - Wednesday, March 31, 1999 Ralph B Ralph B. Lake, former executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of Promus Hotel Corp., has become a member of Burch, Porter & Johnson. Other new members include William A. Carson II, Scott J. Crosby, Susan M. Clark and Todd...

64. Archived Article: Calendar - Monday, November 03, 1997 Nov Nov. 3 The Society for Technical Communication will meet at the Unicorn restaurant beginning with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. The program begins at 7 p.m. The speaker will be Donald Ray, a technical writing manager at Celcore, who will offer tips...

65. Archived Article: Wolf River Ranch Lj - Friday, August 29, 1997 By LAURIE JOHNSON Work to begin on Wolf River Ranch By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News Bulldozers are expected to begin rolling within the next few weeks on the first section of Wolf River Ranch, a new planned development that eventually will cover 35...

66. Archived Article: Law Briefs - Thursday, July 10, 1997 Several local attorneys have been elected to positions with the Tennessee Bar Association Several local attorneys have been elected to positions with the Tennessee Bar Association. Randall D. Noel, a partner in the firm of Armstrong Allen Prewitt Ge...

67. Archived Article: Law Briefs - Thursday, March 27, 1997 District Attorney Bill Gibbons has announced assistant district attorney Terry Harris will be the full-time head of the new Anti-Gang Team District Attorney Bill Gibbons has announced assistant district attorney Terry Harris will be the full-time he...

68. Archived Article: Adams Mark Renov Lj - Wednesday, November 06, 1996 lj 10/5 cates Adams Mark getting $2.4 million renovation By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News Construction has begun on extensive renovations to a local luxury hotel a project that the hotels owners have undertaken to elevate the property to modern hosp...

69. Archived Article: Memos - Wednesday, October 23, 1996 Victory Bank has announced several promotions: Joel T. Johnson has joined the Pickering Firm Inc. as a structural engineer. He was formerly with Burr & Cole Engineers. He has a bachelors degree from the University of Memphis. Victory Bank has an...

73. Archived Article: Lj Tabletop - Monday, October 30, 1995 lj 10/5 cates Waterways protection group gets tips on simulation exercise By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News A barge runs aground on the shore of the Mississippi River, dumping thousands of gallons of oil across the surface of the water. Though no one...